Fw: Alert: Catapres-TTS [Message ID: ed5aa]

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Alert: Catapres-TTS [Message ID: ed5aa]

Risk of Burns during MRI Scans from Transdermal Drug Patches

with Metallic Backings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public

Health Advisory to warn of the risk of skin burns in patients

wearing transdermal patches (medicated patches applied to the

skin) who are undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Transdermal patches are applied to the skin and commonly deliver

pain medications, heart medications, hormones, or nicotine.

Certain transdermal patches contain aluminum or other metals in

the backing of the patches, which can overheat during an MRI

scan and cause skin burns in the immediate area of the patch.

The FDA is in the process of reviewing the labeling and the

metal content of all patches to ensure that those made with

materials containing metal provide a warning about the risk of

burns to patients who wear the patches during an MRI scan.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/transdermalpatch.htm

* * * *

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

This safety alert is a good reminder to all patients to provide

an updated list of medications to their doctors and other

healthcare professionals prior to any procedure.

If you are using a patch form of Catapres-TTS, please be aware

that you may be at risk for skin burns if you undergo an MRI

scan and leave your patch on your skin. If you are referred for

an MRI scan, the FDA recommends that patients who use medicated

patches (including nicotine patches) do the following:

1) Tell the doctor referring you for an MRI scan that you are

using a patch and why you are using it (such as, for pain,

smoking cessation, hormones).

2) Ask your doctor for guidance about removing and disposing of

the patch before having an MRI scan and replacing it after the

procedure.

3) Tell the MRI facility that you are using a patch. You should

do this when making your appointment and during the health

history questions you are asked when you arrive for your

appointment.

For updated risk ratings on all of your registered medications,

or to update your medication list, please log into your profile

(https://secure.iGuard.org/user). You can also reach your

profile by clicking on the link in the top right corner of any

page on our web site.

* * * *

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Please reply with any suggestions, ideas, comments or feedback

that we can use to make our service more valuable for you... And

don't forget to tell your friends and family about what we do!

==============================

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medical advice. iGuard cannot and does not take into

consideration every possible interaction or account for

individual responses to medicine. Different individuals may

respond to medication in different ways. The absence of a

warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be

construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe,

effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Always seek the

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